Since you might not live past Thursday, get a tube amp. Tube amps are more interesting, and often make make the owner of tube gear "seem" more interesting. A win win. Also, no amp (or pretty much any piece of audio gear) can really be auditioned except in your home, and then it has to be over a good chunk of time. Reviewers often have gear for many months. If you read enough reviews and opinions here and there you can likely make a relatively safe purchase based on all that, although, for example, if your listening environment is a leaky tent you might stay away from wooden speakers, or if no electricity is available you might have to learn to play an acoustic instrument and make the music yourself. These are important things to consider.
Agoners: Need Advice! Have 3K to spend on an Amp, what do I do with no way to audition?
Looking for a solid State Amp, something that will go for 30 years or more (My Last Amp), so I don't need high maintenance, with at least 200 WPC @ 8 ohm load. SO many to choose from...I've narrowed my choices down to several brands, due to the consistency of great reviews; Krell, Pass Labs, Audio Research, McIntosh, Mark Levinson, Classe. Now looking serious at a couple by Krell or Pass. I love most types of music, classical, jazz, rock, punk, electronica, metal, but not Rap & Country. I love great detail in my music, fast and bold but rich and warm, played soft or loud with a big soundstage, love bass slam and crisp highs, too much midrange hurts my ears. Which amp does it all??? Wife has me limited to this, you know how that is :(...Please help me out here folks...I've been in this dilemma for a few years, it's time to make a decision and buy!